FamilyGoKarts Support

ATV will not start. How to check for spark and gas flow.

There are two main reasons why an ATV will not start. One is the unit does not have spark and without spark the engine will not fire. Also, if the engine has poor gas flow your ATV will not run. Below are simple steps on how to check to see if your ATV has proper spark and gas flow.

(A) Check For Spark:

Make sure that the ignition switch is "on" position. Make sure the tether is connected and that center button is push in if your ATV has a rear tether.

Next, check for spark by removing the spark plug and grounding the "hex" part of the spark plug to a bare metal part of the engine. Remove any spilled gasoline that is nearby, then spin the engine by pulling the rope or turning the key. You should see a blue spark jump across the plug gap. If you have a good hot spark, skip to the carburetor section. If the spark is yellow and weak, or there is no spark then the first thing to do is try a new spark plug. Go and get a NGK CR7HS spart plug. NGK is the brand name and the CR7HS is the spark plug number. Do not try to clean the old one. Set the new plug gap to the proper spec (usually 0.030") and check for spark again. If you get spark good. Put the new plug in and start the atv. If you do not get spark then please contact us for further instructions.

(B) Check For Gas Flow

Remove fuel line from the carburetor, hold fuel line over a container, and check the flow of gas. Flow should be the full stream of the line size, if not remove the gas cap and see what happens. If the flow is slow, then blow thru or make sure that there is no restriction in the fuel line, if fuel line flows fuel very good right away then the trouble is in the carburetor.

If either of these steps does not start your ATV, then please submit a trouble ticket for further support.